Attachment for metal cutting and stamping apparatus.



No. 796,906. PATENTED AUG. 8, 1905.

G.GARDNER. ATTACHMENT FOR METAL CUTTING AND STAMPING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 26,1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 796,906. I PATENTED AUG. 8, 1905.

. G. GARDNER. ATTACHMENT FOR METAL GUTTI AND STAMPING APPARATUS.

APPLIO'ATION r1 EPT,26.1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ATTACHMENT FOR METAL CUTTING AND STAMPING APPARATUS.-

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1905,

Application filed September 26, 1904. Serial No. 226,075.

To all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE GARDNER, canister-maker, a subject of theKing of Great Britain, residing at No. 130 Hyde street, Yarraville, inthe State of Victoria, Australia, have invented a certain new and usefulImproved Attachment for Metal Cutting and Stamping Apparatus, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to metal cutting and stamping apparatus in whichthe blanks are cut out or stamped out of the sheet of metal withoutfirst dividing said sheet into strips, and is more particularly intendedfor use in the manufacture of tin canisters and other sheet-metalvessels.

. The object of the invention is to remedy the many more or less seriousdefects present in apparatus hitherto employed for this purpose, theprincipal of which are probably, first, the large amount of waste ofmetal sheet; second, the difliculty of placing the metal sheet in thecorrect position; third, the liability of the sheet to slip out ofposition after having been so placed; fourth, the irregularity orunevenness of the working surface; fifth, the liability of the sheet tolift when the punch is raised after having stamped out a blank; sixth,the liability of the sheet to buckle or otherwise upset the even workingof the apparatus, and minor others well known to persons versed in theart to which this invention appertains.

In order to facilitate a ready understanding of my improved attachments,I will refer to the accompanying drawings of theapparatus, of whichFigure l is a side elevation of the complete apparatus; Fig. 2, apartial front elevation showing the punch, die, and attachments; andFig. 3, a plan of the die and attachments. Fig. 4: is an enlarged planof the under side of the punch, and Fig. 5 a side elevation thereof.Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical section of the die, showing the bottomshear of the scrapcutter. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan of a sheet withthree rows of blanks stamped out, while Fig. 8 is a similar view showingthe effect of the scrap-cutter.

According to this invention I provide an inclined bed plate A, directedtoward the punch B and die C of the press, and upon same I mount anumber of transverse spacing guidebars D, having flanges E projectingtoward said die, said guide-bars being either fixed or capable ofadjustment in grooves, such as F, to provide for the cutting or stampingof blanks of various diameters. The projecting flanges E of the spacingguide-bars D point from the operator, and their top edges are slightlybelow the plane of the cutting-surface of the die, so that practically alevel working surface is maintained while the upper edge of the sheetmetal passes underneath one or other of the flanges and prevents itriding over the guidebars,and thus getting out of correct alinement. Atthe rear of the die is a shorter adjustable spacing guide-bar G with asimilar flange H, Whose top edge is slightly above the cuttingplane ofthe die projecting toward the operator to guide the strip of sheet metalout of which the last row of blanks are out. A stopgage J, against whichthe edge of the sheet to be cut abuts, is placed flush with the cuttingedge of the die C, so that when the blank is cut out the sheet issevered at the place where it abutted against the stop-gage J, therebyenabling the operator to conveniently slide the sheet along for the nextcut, thus obviating thenecessity of lifting the sheet over the gage, asheretofore. If it is desired to remove the surplus metal, scrap-cutterscomprising top and bottom shears K L are fitted to the punch and die,respectively, as illustrated in Figs. 4, 5, and 6.

In order to prevent the sheet metal lifting on raising the punch, acurved stripper-finger M is provided, the formation of which allows thesheets to be readily introduced, while at the same time it prevents anydanger of the operators fingers getting under the punch when feeding thesheet.

With these improvements, which may readily be applied to existingmachines, the operation of cutting or stamping blanks out of sheet metalis greatly facilitated, and the waste is very considerably reduced, asthere is no need to leave sufficient metal between the spaces from whichthe blanks have been cut to hold the plate together.

With apparatus having my improved attachments the modes operrmdi issomewhat simplified, while at the same time a greater degree of accuracyis obtained.

In actual practice the following sequence of operations is observed:After having placed the required punch and die in position, togetherwith the stop-gage J, the spacing guidebars Dare adjusted and fixed inany convenient manner. The sheet of metal is of such a length that thereis half a diameter of one blank in excess. The upper edge of the metalsheet is then placed under the projecting flange E of the uppermostguide-bar so that the bottom edge is in correct alinement with the die,and the sheet is pushed along until its front edge abuts against thestop-gage J. The punch is then operated, and the first blank being cutout the sheet is severed at the point where it abutted against thestop-gage, thereby enabling the operator to conveniently slide the sheetforward until the stop-gage J abuts against the rearmost edge of thehole in the sheet occasioned by the stamping out of the first blank. Thesheet is now in position for the next blank to be stamped therefrom, andthe operation is repeated till the other or rear end of the sheet isreached. The sheet is then reversed end for end, so that what was thefront edge now becomes the rear edge, and vice versa, while the upperedge continues to remain as such. The upper edge of the sheet is thenplaced beneath the projecting flange of the next succeeding guide-barand the operation repeated until there is only one row to be stamped.The sheet is now reversed, so that what was the upper edge iinallybecomes the lower edge, and is placed against the shorter spacingguide-bar Gr and beneath its projecting flange H, so the last row isconveniently stamped out.

When the scrap-cutter K L is used, it cuts off the surplus metal scrapand thus prevents the formation of a long straggling tail, which isliable to become entangled, and thus hamper operations. The position ofthe cut made by these shears is shown in Fig. 8.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare thatwhat I claim is 1. In a metal cutting and stamping apparatus, thecombination with the die and punch, of a bed-plate and spacingguide-bars thereon having flanges projecting toward the die and underwhich the edge of the sheet of metal to be cut is guided.

2. In a metal cutting and stamping apparatus, the combination with thedie and punch, of a bed-plate and adjustable spacing guidebars thereonhaving flanges E directed toward the die and under which the edge of thesheet of metal to be cut is guided, said projecting flanges being insubstantially the same plane.

3. In a metal cutting and stamping apparatus, the combination with thedie and punch, of adjustable guide-bars having flanges projecting towardthe die and under which the edge of the sheet of metal to be cut isguided,

and a stop-gage having a cutting edge flush with the cutting edge of thedie, whereby the metal will expand against and be severed by the gage,substantially as described.

4. In a metal cutting and stamping apparatus, the combination with thedie and punch, of parallel guide-bars having flanges projecting towardthe die and adjustable toward and from the die, the edge of the sheet tobe out being guided under a flange, and a stop-gage having a cuttingedgeflush with the cutting edge of the die, whereby the sheet being cut willbe simultaneously expanded against said gage and cut, thereby preventingthe lifting of the sheet to carry it over the guide.

5. In a metal cutting and'stamping apparatus, the combination with thedie and punch, of a number of parallel guide-bars having flanges Eprojecting toward the die, said bars situated in front of the die and alike short adjustable guide-bar behind the die whose flange projectstoward those in front of the die, and a stop-gage having a cutting edgeflush with the cutting edge of the die, substantially as described.

6. In a metal cutting and stamping apparatus, the combination with thedie and punch, of a number of adjustable guidebars having flangesprojecting toward the die and under which the edge of the strip of metalto be cut is guided, a stop-gage having a cutting edge flush with thecutting edge of the die, and a stationary stripperlinger under which thesheet of metal is movable, said linger being slightly above and in frontof the cutting edge of the die, substantially as described.

7. In a metal cutting and stamping apparatus, the combination with thepunch and die, of guide-bars having flanges under which the edge of thestrip of metal to be cut is guided, a stop-gage positioned to cooperatewith the die and punch to cut through the scrap simultaneously with thepunching out of the blank, and a scrap-cutter having the stationary partsecured to the die and the movable part secured to the punch and cominginto action just after the blank has been cut, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

GEORGE GARDNER.

l/Vitnesses:

EDWARD NEEDI-IAM WATERS, WILLIAM HERBERT WATERS.

